


even chiron dealt with a hard hand of young heroes

by Tatsumaki_sama



Series: The Odyssey of Bryce Wayne [14]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Superman (Comics), Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Female Bruce Wayne, Fluff, Humor, Mother-Son Relationship, Parent-Child Relationship, Protectiveness, Timeline What Timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27742981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tatsumaki_sama/pseuds/Tatsumaki_sama
Summary: What was supposed to be a quiet date night for Bryce and Clark became a night for them to bail out their boys from the Gotham police station.
Relationships: Clark Kent & Kon-El | Conner Kent, Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Kon-El | Conner Kent & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Clark Kent & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne
Series: The Odyssey of Bryce Wayne [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/672506
Comments: 10
Kudos: 227





	even chiron dealt with a hard hand of young heroes

**Author's Note:**

> I've been meaning to post this for months now but never had a chance to wrap it up until now. Combining the Bat and Super families is a delightfully fun chaotic disaster waiting to happening. There was just a need to write about double team parenting from Bryce and Clark. I also have some feels about Conner and Bryce's relationship.

“ Who would like to explain first?”

Clark had his arms crossed while Bryce levelled a hard glare at them. Normally the sight of both Batwoman and Superman looking disapproving would be enough to send normal people fleeing or cowing for their lives.

Unfortunately, none of their children could be considered normal.

Dick smiled back. Jason met their gaze full on. Tim wore an innocent expression. Damian's jaw was squared in petulant defiance. Conner at least looked somewhat remorseful, even if he chose to stare at his shoes instead.

None of them were willing to talk evidently or place blame on someone else.

In any other situation, Bryce and Clark would be nodding in approval how loyal their children were to each other.

“ Surely one of you can explain things.”

“ My name's not Shirley,” Dick and Jason said simultaneously with identical smug grins.

Clark's mouth twitched despite his attempts to look stern.

Bryce however was not amused.

In hindsight, they should have anticipated something like this.

The boys managed to convince Bryce and Clark to take a night off. Things had been quiet lately and the two of them deserved a break to have a date night. The boys promised nothing less than a galactic emergency would any one of them bother them.

Grudgingly, Bryce had agreed.

She and Clark made plans for a quiet dinner at Clark's apartment. In of itself, the night was going well and they immensely enjoyed each other's company and the rare peace that came along with it.

But no sooner than they finished the appetizers that Alfred had prepared for them, they got a call from Dick, sheepishly asking for them to come to back to Gotham.

The Gotham police station to be exact, as all of the boys were arrested.

Damian had the luxury of being underage and was in his own separate cell. It was most likely for the best as he was looking at the officers and at his siblings through his bars as if he was sorely tempted to bring out his sword collection.

Bryce played the act of an oblivious and concerned parent, rushing into the police station, looking out of breath and stumbling in her high heels, like she just came from an exclusive dinner party with Gotham's elite.

Commissioner Gordon patiently explained that they had been a brawl at a restaurant involving all five of them. While Clark had been appalled to find out that a fight was started, initiated by none other than the boys themselves, Bryce was more interested in the details.

Jason wore his heart on his sleeve and when he felt provoked or insulted unjustly, his first reaction was to get even whether through verbal or physical means. Damian too reacted the same.

It was Dick, Conner and Tim who had surprised her.

Dick had been used to all sorts of insults and petty snide comments from the very beginning when Bryce first adopted him and he never let any of it bother him. Tim had also grown up in the circles of the elite and he knew well how to navigate and ignore the worst of it with a polite, seemingly oblivious smile.

In the beginning, Conner's temper and recklessness was a concern but since then, Conner mastered self-control and discipline and had a more level-headed temperament now, Bryce's training and Clark's influence rubbing off on him.

It was the fact that it was those three that threw the first punch, according to witnesses, followed eagerly by Jason and Damian, that was the most curious detail.

Thankfully, there were no serious injuries, no need to bring anyone to the hospital, and the other party was also detained nursing bruises and hurt pride.

The boys came away from that fight mostly unscathed.

(of course they would, Bryce would have beamed with pride if she was anyone else, it was _her_ boys after all)

Blissfully ignoring everything that was just said, Bryce simply demanded to see her children and once in the cell, she fussed over them and checked for any injuries while casually waving aside any continuing conversation from Gordon or his officers with the air of a flighty rich heiress who simply wanted to return to her party as quickly as possible.

She sweetly asked Gordon to release them into her custody and that this be kept off the records, that her boys would hardly hurt a fly, this was all a misunderstanding and she already paid double the amount of the bail fee, as well as any damage costs for the restaurant as a gesture of good will. With a long-suffering sigh and one final warning to stay out of trouble, Gordon signed them off.

With a winning smile, she gathered up her children and swept past the arriving Clark without a single glance as he deliberately arrived late to pick up Conner, looking dishevelled as if he had broken many traffic laws to speed over to Gotham City from the Daily Planet.

Once they were all back in the Manor, it was a different story.

Bryce continued wearing her formal dress that she had hastily changed into to maintain the masquerade and despite the glitter on the dress and the thigh-high slits, she was dangerous, deadly and very, very impatient.

Clark also ruffled his clothing and hair to sell the look that he had just rushed out of his office. It added to his appearance of a disappointed father.

“ What possessed you to start a fight? In public?” he sternly said, looking between all of them.

“ They started it,” Damian muttered.

“ That is irrelevant,” Bryce said.

“ We didn't mean to ruin your night, I swear,” Dick rubbed the back of head. “ Things ... just happened.”

That would not be considered an accurate summation of what happened. There was more to it and for some reason, they refused to explain what precipitated their actions.

Clark sighed, shoulders slumping, his anger mostly deflated. Some of the boys began to fidget. The natural ability of that man to induce guilt was mind-boggling.

“ You are better than this. You are all better than this. What if something happened and someone got hurt?”

He was looking in particular at Conner.

Which was understandable, given the circumstances. This was a young man who could bat asteroids away on a daily basis. All it would take was one mistake, one miscalculation, one instant where self-control was lost.

It was something Clark had to live with for all of his life. Conner would be no different.

Conner appeared to wilt. He was especially not looking at Bryce.

“ He did nothing wrong,” Tim immediately came to Conner's defence.

“ He pulled his punches,” Dick emphatically nodded.

All of them did, really. Considering the types of people they dealt with on a daily basis, the target of their animosity was lucky to survive with merely bruises and nothing with longer lasting damage.

“ You are lucky that no charges were pressed.” Bryce's gaze flickered between all of them, scrutinizing them.

Her silent question lingered in the air.

_So why did you do it?_

“ What are you going to do about it, old lady?” Jason said instead, looking supremely unconcerned.

Most parents would ground their children or take away their privileges like the computer or video games after an event like this. Unfortunately for them, they were not dealing with normal children who could – and would find a way – to sneak out regardless in spite of their best efforts and hack into other computers to get what they wanted.

Fortunately, they happened to be Bryce Wayne and Clark Kent.

It had been a long night and both Bryce and Clark were both still somewhat displeased with the series of events that dragged them out of their first date night in many months.

The boys were refusing to talk.

That was fine.

There are many other ways to make someone divulge information.

“ I will release dozens of your baby pictures to the Daily Planet,” she said crisply.

There was a sweet moment of silence before everything erupted.

“ What the hell?”

“ You will do what?”

“ Baby pictures?!”

“ This is blackmail!”

“ You're joking, right?”

“ Want to bet?” Clark challenged.

He was grinning, making all of them feel suddenly nervous.

“ You will see them yourselves by tomorrow morning,” Bryce said.

She began smiling too which made them realized how serious she was.

And how screwed they were.

“ Whatever happened to maintaining our public image?” Tim spluttered.

“ Bryce Wayne managed to collect several photos of her children recently and decided to send them to the Daily Planet for publishing. In the eyes of the public, she is merely a doting parent who wishes everyone to see the charms of her children,” Bryce said in a bored tone.

“ And if Clark Kent happened to add a few more photos of his baby 'cousin', it was done by accident,” Clark added mischievously. “ The 'mistake' will be corrected after a few days.”

“ After that, I'm sure many newspapers and gossip magazines would love to have an exclusive with Bryce Wayne who will gladly make an appearance to discuss every photo to extensive detail,” Bryce continued dryly. “ Since Clark Kent is her favourite reporter, the Daily Planet will get it first.”

“ Perhaps both of them might even start talking about some embarrassing childhood stories,” Clark beamed.

The horror of such imagery sunk in.

“ You wouldn't,” Jason started.

“ Mother, I can't believe you would stoop this low!” Damian cried. He was trying to maintain his frown but he ended up looking like he was pouting.

“ Desperate times calls for desperate measures,” Clark wryly said.

“ You are just bluffing,” Conner finally said. “ There isn't any baby photos of me for sure.”

He would have been justified in his assumptions, except Bryce had an ace up her sleeve.

“ I recall a certain Teen Titans incident last year where a magic spell reverted half of its members into toddlers for three hours.”

Conner and Tim turned pale.

“ I erased all video evidence of that event!”

“ How do you even know about that?”

“ Because it's me,” she simply said.

“ You can't let those pictures see the light of day!” Conner sounded aghast.

Bryce arched an eyebrow at him. “ There is hardly anything to be horrified about, Conner,” she mildly said. “ Your precociousness gained many favors from the rest of your female team members the rest of that week.”

If anyone else was saying it, it might have possibly insulting. But it was Bryce who was saying it to Conner and he flushed with quiet bashfulness as if it had came from a doting parent.

The evident hint of fondness in Bryce's voice indicated Conner's precociousness had an effect on her too.

An envious sneer came from Damian and one could hardly miss the indignant sulk from Jason.

“ I'm sure all of you were adorable as children,” Clark said warmly, saying what Bryce would never say out loud. He was certain that was what they wanted to hear, even if they would never admit it. “ After all, why else would we keep so many photos?”

Tim actually flushed in embarrassment.

Dick beamed.

“ Shut up,” Jason muttered without much heat.

Damian looked lost halfway between wanting to snarl he was adamantly _not_ cute and demanding to see those pictures to compare who was most definitely the cutest among them.

Bryce resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

Children, all of them.

“ Now will you tell us what really happened?” Clark asked, casually easing into the role of playing the good cop.

The pleasant mood vanished.

All the boys turned to Dick, who sighed.

“ They were saying Clark Kent was sleeping his way for his stories,” he finally said.

Clark frowned. That kind of gossip was nothing new. Even before Damian's birth, Clark had endured plenty of those rumors between him and Bryce.

He was about to point that out but Dick continued.

“ Before they started saying he had a particular _interest_ in Bryce Wayne's children and what he would do with them.”

Ahh.

That would explain it.

Bryce narrowed her eyes. For a moment, Clark's mouth tightened.

Dick's eyes flashed dangerously. Conner's hands clenched at his sides. Tim looked troubled. Jason's jaw was clenched. Damian was looking as if he was ready to return to the station to finish what they had started.

“ We know none of it was true,” Tim heatedly said. “ But just hearing the words – ”

“ They were laughing,” Conner growled.

“ We shouldn't have let it get to us,” Dick sighed. “ But in that moment ...”

Bryce gave Clark a side glance. She would not be the right person to diffuse this particular situation. It would be hypocritical of her to tell her boys to let things be when she had already came up with a dozen ways to make those men's lives miserable for the next few months.

Clark shot her an amused look before he spoke up.

“ I understand that it is upsetting to hear but that's nothing to get worked up about on my behalf. I've heard worse over the years,” he patiently said.

“ Still – ”

“ Some people take delight in putting others down to make themselves feel better. We must not allow their negativity and choices to affect us. We are better than that. We must be better than that.”

“ But – ”

“ You know I would never do anything like that to any of you, right?”

“ Of course not!”

“ Then the matter is settled,” Clark said, gently but firmly.

Conner and Jason looked like they wanted to still argue, but Bryce, like many other times, would have the final word.

“ We will consider lessening your punishment in light of your united actions of defending the honour of a man highly regarded by you all,” she said with a slight tone of amusement.

Her words slowly sunk in.

Clark beamed like Christmas had came early. The boys stared at them, agape, with varying reactions of embarrassment.

Privately, Bryce was quite pleased that they would band together so quickly and willingly for Clark's sake. There were few things that all of them would agree with, but when it came to family, they were thicker than blood.

“ That does _not_ mean there won't be some form of punishment.” She managed to resist the urge to display a shark-like smile. Just barely. “ We have a long night ahead after all.”

They all groaned.

“ Not fair!”

“ Told you we shouldn't have called them.”

“ Help us out, Clark!”

“ Yeah, Clark. Help a fellow man out.”

“ I did pay for your bail.” Clark's eyes gleamed mischievously.

“ Only Conner's!”

“ What about the emotional damage that occurred following that?”

“ You're just as bad as Bryce!”

Children. She was dealing with _children_.


End file.
